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    Chapter 74 - See the breakfast I personally brought for you

    The next morning, the alarm clock woke Jiang Yuduo up promptly. He got out of bed and found the projection screen turned off. He brushed his teeth in the bathroom, staring at his sleep-deprived reflection in the mirror, suddenly recalling the events of the previous night.

    He quickly rinsed his mouth and rushed to the bedroom to check the progress bar on the screen, but couldn't find "Green Phantom" no matter how much he scrolled. It dawned on him that it might have been just a dream.

    Planning to buy breakfast on his way to work, he saw a message from his mother half an hour ago when paying:

    [Don't bother buying breakfast; Aunt Wang has already delivered it to your office. There's one for Nanqing as well. His company hasn't opened yet, so she left them both on your desk. Remember to send it down to him.]

    "The handsome guy, your soy milk, steamed dumplings, shumai, and large portion of rice noodles are all packed," the owner said.

    "Oh, sorry. I won't be needing them," Jiang Yuduo replied, quickly making his exit before the owner could scold him.

    Back at the office, Jiang Yuduo looked at the two insulated food containers filled with breakfast. Aunt Wang had even labeled them with names. He opened the one marked "Young Master Jiang" to find his favorite rice noodle rolls and buns. Then, he opened the other marked "Young Master Lu" – the quality had clearly been elevated.

    Crystal steamed dumplings, roasted pork, light wontons, millet pumpkin porridge, and even a fruit platter! Jiang Yuduo sarcastically remarked, "I guess mine was just bought randomly, while Lu Nanqing actually made his own."

    Most importantly, his mom had never offered to bring him breakfast before, yet today he got to enjoy it solely because of Lu Nanqing.

    Jiang Yuduo sighed repeatedly. His mother treated Lu Nanqing better than her own son, which made him swallow the large pork bun in two angry bites, promptly choking himself.

    He finished his breakfast in less than five minutes and left with the thermos in hand. As he stepped out, he changed his mind and dug into the deepest drawer of his desk to retrieve his crumpled mask and hat.

    Fully disguised, he ventured out confidently.

    "Boss?" Little Fatty almost failed to recognize him as he passed by, staring inquisitively.

    "Mm," Jiang Yuduo acknowledged, continuing on his way.

    "Where are you going with that lunchbox?" Little Fatty asked.

    "What's it to you? I'm going to work!" Jiang Yuduo replied.

    Little Fatty shrugged and returned to his post.

    At the elevator, Jiang Yuduo looked around nervously, feeling like a culprit. He muttered to himself, "What am I doing? I'm not stealing or robbing anyone."

    With a confident stride, he entered the elevator, descended to the seventh floor, and approached the entrance of Shangluo Technology without so much as a sideways glance, his head held high.

    "Hey, wait a minute! Who are you? Please register!" The receptionist, momentarily distracted, noticed an unfamiliar figure entering the company and promptly called out.

    "Mm, I'm delivering food," Jiang Yuduo replied softly, deliberately vague. "I'll register outside."

    The receptionist let him go for now but lifted her head abruptly as she tidied her desk.

    Something wasn't right. Didn't delivery personnel usually wear uniforms? Oh, perhaps it was someone from a local store.

    But... that voice, that attire... how eerily similar to that arrogant boss upstairs?

    In the President's Office...

    Jiang Yuduo quickened his pace, almost breaking into a jog, and got lost in his haste and guilt. He had to ask someone for directions before finally locating Lu Nanqing's office.

    "Whoosh—" The glass door swung open with a forceful push. Lu Nanqing, sitting at his desk with a cup of millet porridge in hand, sipping through a straw, looked up.

    The newcomer was wearing a hat and a mask, making it difficult for Lu Nanqing to recognize him at first. Moreover, it was incredibly rude not to knock before entering. Just as he was about to question the intruder, the person strode forward casually, removing their hat at the same time.

    Lu Nanqing felt a sense of familiarity, and upon glancing at his wristwatch, he confirmed his suspicion and asked, "Jiang Yuduo?"

    Recognized, Jiang Yuduo harrumphed twice, removed his mask, and casually stuffed it into his pocket. With his right hand, he placed a blue thermal lunch box on Lu Nanqing's desk, saying, "I specially brought you breakfast myself. Aren't you overwhelmed with gratitude?"

    Lu Nanqing was momentarily taken aback, unsure why Jiang Yuduo had suddenly brought him breakfast. While he was lost in thought, the porridge in his hand was snatched away. It was discarded with disdain, accompanied by a critique, "Are you drinking water? I can't even see any rice in there."

    Looking at his breakfast now in the trash can by the desk, Lu Nanqing was speechless.

    "Come, let me show you what real congee is," Jiang Yuduo said, opening the lunch box.

    A fragrant aroma wafted out, and as Lu Nanqing watched, several small dishes were revealed one by one.

    He didn't believe that this was something Jiang Yuduo had "specially" bought for him. Recalling the phone call from Auntie Jiang the previous night, he reached for his phone.

    [Nanqing, Auntie Wang has delivered breakfast to Jiang Yuduo's office. Your company isn't open yet, so I asked Jiang Yuduo to bring it to you. Remember to eat it. [Heart]]

    "Stop looking at your phone. Eat your meal," Jiang Yuduo instructed, sitting at the table.

    Lu Nanqing put down his phone and took a sip of the congee, deliberately asking, "You bought this?"

    "Certainly, I waited in line for almost an hour." Jiang Yuduo said without the slightest hint of guilt.

    "Which store was it? It tastes great." Lu Nanqing commented.

    "Hmm... in the west of the city, that place, Fragrant Flavor House," Jiang Yuduo replied, stumbling over his words as he tried to recall.

    Lu Nanqing chuckled and passed his phone over. "Why didn't you say you made it yourself?"

    Jiang Yuduo saw the chat box on the screen and coughed awkwardly, but still persisted with his lie. "I got it wrong. Aunt Wang actually prepared it."

    "But I was the one who brought it down for you. You really don't appreciate good intentions, do you?" Jiang Yuduo continued to nag.

    Given that he had accepted the food, Lu Nanqing chose not to engage in a verbal spat out of respect.

    Leaning casually against the desk, Jiang Yuduo watched Lu Nanqing sip his soup like a cat, taking tiny sips. After a while, he grew impatient and chided, "At this rate, it'll get cold soon."

    "Please understand, someone with a sensitive stomach can't eat too quickly," Lu Nanqing explained.

    Silent for a moment, Jiang Yuduo pushed the crystal steamed dumplings towards Lu Nanqing. "These are delicious. Aunt Wang's specialty."

    Lu Nanqing picked up one with his chopsticks and asked, "Have you eaten?"

    "I haven't. This is specially for you; I don't deserve such luxury," Jiang Yuduo replied casually, hinting at jealousy.

    "Let's eat together," Lu Nanqing pushed the steamed dumplings back towards him.

    "I was just joking. You go ahead. Aunt Wang prepared two servings, and I finished mine already," Jiang Yuduo said with a smile after teasing him.

    "But your food is like a royal feast, while mine is swill for pigs," Jiang Yuduo continued, turning the lunch box around. "See, Young Master Lu, you'll be our Jiang family's second young master from now on."

    Lu Nanqing looked at the note and smiled slightly. Jiang Yuduo observed him and commented, "You look more alive when you smile. Also, take off those glasses; they make you seem distant even from a hundred meters away."

    Lu Nanqing didn't respond but continued to sip his porridge.

    It was Jiang Yuduo's first time entering the inner sanctum. He looked around the office, which, much like its owner, exuded a cold atmosphere. It seemed that Lu Nanqing had obsessive-compulsive disorder, as all the file cabinets were meticulously arranged in a particular order.

    "Where's Fat Orange? I don't see it anywhere," Jiang Yuduo asked while scanning the room.

    "Turn left into the cubicle," said Lu Nanqing.

    Jiang Yuduo approached and spotted a cat bed where the chubby tabby was sound asleep.

    "Chubby orange furball~" Jiang Yuduo crouched down to scoop up the cat. The feline, roused by the noise, assumed it was its owner and didn't resist. It wasn't until being lifted that it realized it was in the arms of the "frugal freeloader" upstairs (who stroked it but never fed it).

    "Don't call it like that; it can understand you," Lu Nanqing advised kindly as he watched Jiang Yuduo emerge with the cat.

    "How could it possibly understand?" Jiang Yuduo doubted.

    His disbelief was swiftly proven wrong when the cat delivered a swift paw to his chin, escaping his embrace.

    Jiang Yuduo: "Wait, it really does understand?"

    Lu Nanqing chuckled. "You fell for that? The cat just isn't used to strangers holding it."

    "I'm not a stranger. I've fed it a few times," Jiang Yuduo argued.

    Observing the cat leap onto the table, he promptly retrieved it, saying, "This is off-limits for you; it's for your owner. Eating it would give you diarrhea."

    Lu Nanqing lifted his gaze, his tone unruffled as he said, "President Jiang, could you perhaps use a different choice of words when people are eating?"

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